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Taking care of your Loved One Is What We Do BEST!

It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always

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Home Care In Vacaville, CA

Home Care Vacaville, CA

They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.

However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting the historic Vaca-Peña Adobe (California Historical Landmark #534) gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.

Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Vacaville, CA is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.

 In-Home Care Vacaville, CA

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The Always Best Care Difference

Since 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.

Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.

The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.

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TESTIMONIALS

“When I fell and broke my hip in 5 places, my wife needed help taking care of me after hip surgery. The hospital handed us a binder with many resources but would not recommend any one company over another. We called each option for in home care and were immediately impressed with Always Best Care. My call was answered right away and I was routed to the correct team member to make an appointment for an evaluation. Two representatives came out right on time, including Lori Yeager, RN, their Quality Care Director. What also impressed us was two days later, their lead caregiver visited our home to be sure their team of caregivers understood exactly what the needs were and to learn our home layout. When I called other organizations, I was told they did not perform an evaluation. They would just connect me with a contractor and that was it. They would not be able to replace a caregiver if they did not show up or needed to reschedule. That was a deal breaker for us. Always Best Care provided excellent home aid resources from May through August, 2023. Their dedicated scheduler Joselynne was a pleasure to work with. They have a patient portal where the home aid enters notes for each day of care. I cannot speak highly enough of Always Best Care – what a well-run organization. It gives me peace of mind to have such a great resource should we need in home care again. Thank you Lori, Jessica, Joselynne, Ty and the entire team. We sincerely appreciate your help.”

James N.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Lori was extremely helpful and successful in finding a placement for my husband. So grateful!”

Sandy P.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Always Best Care Senior Services have been very helpful and accommodating. I am always able to to reach someone at the office to resolve any issues. Marcia and Joselynne does a great job.”

ingrid C.
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TESTIMONIALS

“I was referred to Always Best Care Senior Services and I'm very happy with them. Couldn't ask for better care for my husband and support for me. When I call them Marsha, Laurie, Joslene they get me the information that I need. If I forgot someones name I'm sorry. Always the Best Care is the Best.”

Colleen A.
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TESTIMONIALS

“I really appreciate the wonderful caregiver we were assigned! She helps us so much. Thank you for this wonderful service.”

Jerusha A.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Best care ever, I am really happy with the service . I would recommend Best care to anyone needing assistance.”

Val V.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Lori Yeager, Came to my house to sign me up the service, she was incredible, very knowledgeable and thorough in every thing to about the service. I was very pleased and excited to start the service ????”

Richard L.
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TESTIMONIALS

“I just spoke with Lori from Always Best Care Senior Services today in my home. She was knowledgeable and informative. She spent time with me and answered all my questions. A very nice lady. She gave me information and other sources that I could follow through with that would benefit my husband who has dementia. I was impressed with her knowledge of things. She explained everything throughly. I plan on using their services. Thank you Lori!!”

Donna H.
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TESTIMONIALS

“I am new to Always Best Care Senior Services but I am impressed by the care and concern they have shown. The caretaker they provided is awesome. If you need assistance, you should give them a call.”

Jackie M.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Always Best Care has provided my husband, Fred, and I with excellent support and care. The care takers that have visited us were on time, friendly and very helpful. I would highly recommend this company to help care for your loved one. I can’t say enough about the service we’ve received and will continue to receive.”

Dawn F.
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TESTIMONIALS

“A warm and friendly staff that graciously tends to our households’ ever changing needs. Big thank you to the reliable, knowledgeable, and empathetic faces that have helped my grandfather through this life changing transition.”

Solomon F.
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TESTIMONIALS

“I am very pleased with the service I am receiving. I am extremely happy that they keep tabs on me, they are always calling to check on me. I have had some really wonderful girls taking really good care of me at home. They have done extra things for me like take me to the doctor and out for errands. I would highly recommend Always Best Care Senior Services of Solano County to provide you care if you need some extra support. -George T. Dornbach, Vacaville, CA”

George D.
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TESTIMONIALS

“So far so good. But ifI had any complaints you would hereabout it”

Nancy K.
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TESTIMONIALS

“I gave Always Best Care (ABC) a 5 star rating because the caregivers are amazing! The caregivers that we have worked with are experienced, professional and reliable. They give us a piece of mind knowing that our family member is being well cared for. Maintaining the client’s privacy and dignity was a huge factor when we were looking for care and ABC has exhibited those factors. The ABC Caregivers and Scheduling staff are awesome! Communication is key to us, even though there were a few glitches we managed to resolve it. ABC is a great fit for our family and I would recommend anyone looking for quality care for a loved one to give them a call and check it out.”

J F.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Always Best Care has done great for me and my family. The caregivers are attentive and professional. We are grateful for them.”

Duane D.
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TESTIMONIALS

“I (we, family) have been with ABC almost 2 years. The agency helps me with three parents, two dads and relief for my mother. Our caregivers are INCREDIBLE. We tend to need different level of care for different reasons at different times. All caregivers tend to parents needs, requests and help compassionately, professionally and with little or no instruction needed. The administration gets 5++ stars. From me. Kinks can happen for everyone. My family prob gets awards for that LOL. If any challenge comes up EVERYONE works diligently, compassionately to fix it. There is know way I could do this with/for parents without administrative, medical and caregivers. My dad Korea Vet, my stepdad WWII Purple Heart. Both dads are grateful for the help and companionship. We (family) all are so grateful we have so much confidence with this agency. We thank our Veterans, never forget to thank your caregivers. I highly recommend this company!”

Kathryn S.
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TESTIMONIALS

“We have been with Always Best Care Senior Services for 5 months now for my dad and are very pleased with their services. Dan, Marcia, Josseline and everyone at the office are very helpful, patient and professional, yet compassionate. When I was gone for some family business Dan and Marcia kept me updated and called me if needed. The caregivers that have been here are great and are always positive and caring. Thank you, ABC, for taking care of my Dad!”

Debbi W.

What is Non-Medical Senior Care in Vacaville, CA?

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Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.

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When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.

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The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.

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At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.

 Senior Care Vacaville, CA

Types of Elderly Care in Vacaville, CA

To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:

Personal Care

Personal Care Services

If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.

Common personal care services include assistance with:

  • Eating
  • Mobility Issues
  • Incontinence
  • Bathing
  • Dressing
  • Grooming

Respite Care Vacaville, CA
Home Helper

Home Helper Services

Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.

Common home helper care services include assistance with:

  • Medication Reminders
  • Meal Preparation
  • Pet Care
  • Prescription Refills
  • Morning Wake-Up
  • Walking
  • Reading
 Caregivers Vacaville, CA
Companionship Services

Companionship Services

Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Andrews Park with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.

Common companionship services include:

  • Grocery Shopping
  • Transportation to Appointments
  • Nutritional Assistance
  • Conversation
  • Planning Outings
  • Completing Errands
  • Transportation to Community
  • Events and Social Outings
Home Care Vacaville, CA
Respite Care

Respite Care Services

According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local Makse Restaurant, Vacaville or visit Old Japanese Village monument, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.

At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.

If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.

 In-Home Care Vacaville, CA

Benefits of Home Care in Vacaville, CA

Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:

Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.

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Aging in Place: The Preferred Choice for Most Seniors

While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.

In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.

Here are just a few of the reasons why older men and women prefer to age at home:

How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?

A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.

With the help of elderly care in Vacaville, CA, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.

Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.

Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.

For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.

More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.

In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.

With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.

 Elderly Care Vacaville, CA

Affordable Care

In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.

Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.

At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.

In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:

If your loved one qualifies, Medicaid may help reduce in-home care costs. Review your CA's Medicaid program laws and benefits, and make sure your senior's financial and medical needs meet Medicaid eligibility requirements.
Attendance and aid benefits through military service can cover a portion of the costs associated with in-home care for veterans and their spouses.
Many senior care services like in-home care are included in long-term care insurance options. Research different long-term care solutions to find a plan that provides coverage for senior care.
Home care can be included as part of a senior's private insurance plan. Read over your loved one's insurance policy carefully or speak with their insurance provider to determine if in-home care is covered.
Depending on the life insurance plan, you may be able to apply your policy toward long-term care. You may be able to use long-term-care coverage to help pay for in-home elderly care.
 Senior Care Vacaville, CA

Compassionate Care. Trusted Caregivers.

When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.

Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.

At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Vacaville, CA understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.

Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.

Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.

Assisted Living Referral Services

While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.

Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.


Respite Care Vacaville, CA

At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.

Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:

  • Housekeeping
  • Laundry
  • Recreational Activities
  • Social Outings
  • Emergency Medical Response
  • Medication Monitoring
  • Family Visitation
  • Personal Care
 Caregivers Vacaville, CA

At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.

Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.

Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:

  • Pacifica Senior Living Vacaville
  • Cornerstone Assisted Living
  • Paramount House Senior Living
  • Vaca Valley Living, a memory care community
  • Senior Care Center
  • Five Acres at Leisure Town North
Home Care Vacaville, CA

For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.

 In-Home Care Vacaville, CA

Taking the First Step with Always Best Care

The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:

A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way

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A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive

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Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider

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Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.

If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.

At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Vacaville, CA 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.

When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.

 Elderly Care Vacaville, CA

Latest News in Vacaville, CA

California Forever opens public offices in Vallejo, Vacaville

On the heels of an intensely critical town hall Wednesday, a company seeking to build a new Solano County city is inviting members of the public to visit newly opened offices in Vallejo and Vacaville.People seeking more information on California Forever’s ambitions can now drop by buildings at 537 Georgia St., Vallejo and 960 Alamo Drive, Vacaville to speak to company representatives. CEO Jan Sramek hopes the new locations, which opened Thursday, give interested residents a chance to learn in a more level-headed setting than a c...

On the heels of an intensely critical town hall Wednesday, a company seeking to build a new Solano County city is inviting members of the public to visit newly opened offices in Vallejo and Vacaville.

People seeking more information on California Forever’s ambitions can now drop by buildings at 537 Georgia St., Vallejo and 960 Alamo Drive, Vacaville to speak to company representatives. CEO Jan Sramek hopes the new locations, which opened Thursday, give interested residents a chance to learn in a more level-headed setting than a community meeting.

Despite the tenor of this week’s town hall, which was dominated by outbursts and accusations against California Forever’s actions, Sramek insisted that he believes Solano County’s “overall feeling is a sense of excitement.”

“I think if you try to judge it by looking at something like the town hall, you’re going to get a skewed picture, because oftentimes what happens is there’s a bias in who turns up, and then there’s a bias in who turns up to speak,” he said.

The company’s new Vallejo location was an obvious work in progress as of Friday afternoon. No signage has been installed yet and the interior is mostly empty.

Field Director Anthony Burski, the only employee in the office Friday, became interested in working for Sramek after seeing how many people in his Ohio hometown originally opposed a sports complex that later became a hub of economic activity.

“I just kind of see the same thing with California Forever,” Burski said.

Manning the office marks a shift from Burski’s previous approach of knocking on doors and calling phones. He said a representative from U.S. Rep. John Garamendi’s office paid him a visit Thursday, as did former Rio Vista mayoral candidate Rich Lynn.

Once California Forever finishes the first draft of its plans for the new city in January, people will be able to visit the company’s offices to view the materials for themselves. Sramek also intends to host meetings and small-scale events at the locations in the future.

“We hope that these offices become the heart of our relationship with communities in Solano County,” he said.

California Forever will host three more town halls around Solano County next week, followed by two more the week after that:

The company announced Friday that it is pushing back the time for all these meetings by an hour. They will now start at 6 p.m., rather than 5 p.m. as previously advertised.

Billionaires want to build a new city in rural California. They must convince voters first

Silicon Valley billionaires behind a secretive $800 million land-buying spree in Northern California have finally released some details about their plans for a new green city, but they still must win over skeptical voters and local leaders.After years of ducking scrutiny, Jan Sramek, the former Goldman Sachs trader spearheading the effort, launched a website Thursday about "California Forever." The site billed the project as "a chance for a new community, good paying local jobs, solar farms, and open space" in Sola...

Silicon Valley billionaires behind a secretive $800 million land-buying spree in Northern California have finally released some details about their plans for a new green city, but they still must win over skeptical voters and local leaders.

After years of ducking scrutiny, Jan Sramek, the former Goldman Sachs trader spearheading the effort, launched a website Thursday about "California Forever." The site billed the project as "a chance for a new community, good paying local jobs, solar farms, and open space" in Solano, a rural county between San Francisco and Sacramento that is now home to 450,000 people.

He also began meeting with key politicians representing the area who have been trying unsuccessfully for years to find out who was behind the mysterious Flannery Associates LLC as it bought up huge swaths of land, making it the largest single landholder in the county.

An all-star roster of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and venture capitalists are backing the project, including philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, and venture capitalist Marc Andreessen. The New York Times first reported on the group's investors and plans.

California Forever, the parent company of Flannery, has purchased more than 78 square miles (202 square kilometers) of farmland in Solano County since 2018, largely in the southeastern portion of the county, with parcels stretching from Fairfield to Rio Vista. According to the website, Sramek fell in love with the area over fishing trips and he and his wife recently purchased a home in the county for their growing family.

The project issued a poll to residents last month to gauge support for "a new city with tens of thousands of new homes," solar energy farm and new parks funded entirely by the private sector.

But to build anything resembling a city on what is now farmland, the group must first convince Solano County voters to approve a ballot initiative to allow for urban uses on that land, a protection that has been in place since 1984. Local and federal officials still have questions about the group's intentions.

Two area congressmen who sought for years to find out whether foreign adversaries or investors were behind the buying spree around a U.S. Air Force base vital to national security and the local economy are furious that Flannery kept its identity hidden for so long. The website say 97% of its funding is from U.S. investors and the rest are from the United Kingdom and Ireland.

"The FBI, the Department of Treasury, everyone has been doing work trying to figure out who these people are," U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, who represents much of the county, said this week after meeting with Sramek. "Their secrecy has caused a lot of problems, a lot of time, and a lot of expense."

The investment group said secrecy was required until enough land was purchased, in order to avoid short-term speculation, but that it is now ready to hear from Solano households via a mailed survey and creation of a community advisory board. Past surveys showed parents were most concerned about their children's future, the website said.

"Instead of watching our kids leave, we have the opportunity to build a new community that attracts new employers, creates good paying local jobs, builds homes in walkable neighborhoods, leads in environment stewardship, and fuels a growing tax base to serve the county at large," it said.

California is in dire need of more housing, especially affordable homes for teachers, firefighters, service and hospitality workers. But cities and counties can't figure out where to build as established neighborhoods argue against new homes that they say would congest their roads and spoil their quiet way of life.

In many ways, Solano County is ideal for development. It is 60 miles (96 kilometers) northeast of San Francisco and 35 miles (56 kilometers) southwest of California's capital city of Sacramento. Solano County homes are among the most affordable in the San Francisco Bay Area, with a median sales price of $600,000 last month.

But Princess Washington, mayor pro tempore of Suisun City, said residents deliberately decided to protect open space and keep the area around Travis Air Force Base free of encroachment given its significance.

She's suspicious that the group's real purpose is "to create a city for the elite" under the guise of more housing.

"Economic blight is everywhere. So why do you need to spend upwards of a billion dollars to create a brand new city when you have all these other things that can be achieved throughout the Bay Area?" she said.

Flannery further infuriated locals in May when it sued several landowners in court, accusing them of conspiring to fix prices for their properties. The company disclosed it had purchased or was under contract to buy about 140 properties for more than $800 million.

Then last week, residents began receiving a push poll gauging voter support for "a major new project" that would include "a new city with tens of thousands of new homes." The poll asked if they would be more likely to support the project if county residents were given priority and financial assistance to lease or purchase one of the new homes.

Thompson, the congressman, was unimpressed after meeting with Sramek, saying that the developer was vague on details and failed to display an understanding or appreciation of the county or its values.

Asked how he would help residents finance new homes, Thompson said Sramek told him he planned to use "all of his knowledge as a finance guy" to generate savings. Development in California is convoluted, but Thompson said Sramek told him they're hoping for expedited permitting "because their project is so good and their intentions are so great."

"He doesn't have a plan, he's not there yet," Thompson said.

U.S. Rep. John Garamendi, whose district includes Travis and immediate areas around it, said base and county officials reached out roughly five years ago for help in figuring out who was buying up land. Garamendi, who is scheduled to meet with Sramek Friday, was appalled to learn who was backing the project.

"You big wealthy Silicon Valley billionaires, you're party to all of this. This is the kind of people you are? This is how you want to operate?" he said. "What they've managed to do is to totally poison the well."

Hoffman and Andreessen did not respond to emailed requests for comment, nor did Jobs through her business Emerson Collective.

Project developers said they will protect the military base and farmers who want to keep farming on their parcels can do so.

Flannery has purchased virtually all the land surrounding the small city of Rio Vista, said Mayor Ron Kott.

He suspects older people who make up half of the city's 10,000 residents won't appreciate the added congestion and noise, but others might like the improved medical care, nightlife and shopping that a sophisticated city nearby might bring.

"If it's done correctly, I think there's a lot of opportunities for the county. Their tax revenue base will increase quite a bit. So there's going to be a big windfall from that. Property values would probably go up around here as well even further. And so I think from those perspectives it's good," Kott said.

"But again, I think you're giving up a quality of lifestyle that's kind of unique to this area."

——-

AP video journalist Terry Chea contributed from Rio Vista.

New Vacaville shopping center tower confuses residents as construction nears end

VACAVILLE, Calif. — Standing at 70 feet tall, a dark tower looms over a Vacaville shopping center, leaving residents wondering what it is.The owner of The Ranch, formerly known as the Alamo Plaza shopping center, says it’s meant to be a “landmark” for the area, something to draw people in — at least once it’s finished.The tower started construction in 2018, but has been in pla...

VACAVILLE, Calif. — Standing at 70 feet tall, a dark tower looms over a Vacaville shopping center, leaving residents wondering what it is.

The owner of The Ranch, formerly known as the Alamo Plaza shopping center, says it’s meant to be a “landmark” for the area, something to draw people in — at least once it’s finished.

The tower started construction in 2018, but has been in planning since about 2007. The owner of the plaza, Daria Hosseinyoun, says he hopes the tower will be finished sometime this year.

“The tower was built as a landmark to be easily visible throughout part of Vacaville,” he said. “The top will eventually be lit up to serve as a modern day beacon. We hope to continue to make The Ranch a destination with our recent improvement efforts.”

Current plans are to put a restaurant or business in the lower half of the structure to increase community engagement.

“The purpose of the tower is to become a hot spot restaurant that continues to evolve Vacaville away from the large chain restaurants,” said Hosseinyoun. “We want to create something modern with an indoor and outdoor element with food that makes it a top destination in Vacaville.”

He says the ultimate goal is to let locals and tourists have “an experience that doesn’t exist in Vacaville.”

Located on the corner of Alamo Drive and Merchant Street, the plaza was built in the 1970s and began undergoing revitalization efforts in 2007 due to a “significant decline in occupied tenant spaces over the years,” not having an “anchor store” and an overall vacancy rate of “approximately 50%,” according to a 2007 staff report by then city planner Ward Stewart.

The changes originally wanted a 78-foot tower in the space, but it was eventually limited to 70 due to city codes.

Additional changes added new pedestrian paths “to encourage greater connectivity within the center,” new landscaping, play structures, public restrooms, designated outdoor dining areas for eating establishments and a 5% reduction in on-site parking to accommodate the proposed changes, according to a city planning commission document.

There aren’t currently any plans for a specific restaurant to get into the space, but the original design is set for a "burger tower" and residents on social media expect something like another coffee shop.

Some residents on social media think the tower is some sort of bat-signal, a 5G cell tower or just an eyesore. Even with the mixed reviews on how it looks, people are excited to have something new the area.

Vacaville Girl Scout troop creates mental health center for middle school

The girls have known each other since preschool and banded together to create the Jaguar Zen Den after noticing students struggling with their mental health.VACAVILLE, Calif. — A Vacaville Girl Scout troop created a wellness “zen den” for Willis Jepson Middle School students after noticing themselves and their peers struggling with mental health through the pandemic.Troop 20113 consists of lifelong...

The girls have known each other since preschool and banded together to create the Jaguar Zen Den after noticing students struggling with their mental health.

VACAVILLE, Calif. — A Vacaville Girl Scout troop created a wellness “zen den” for Willis Jepson Middle School students after noticing themselves and their peers struggling with mental health through the pandemic.

Troop 20113 consists of lifelong friends Amy Borchert, Cailtlin McGee, Lily Coble, Ayanna Elias and Nikki Magiera who wanted to help students like themselves have a safe place to decompress from the stress of their studies. The girls have known each other since preschool and banded together to create the Jaguar Zen Den.

“We all saw that people in our schools were struggling with just finding a safe space,” said Cailtlin McGee. “When we found out that we could actually help others, it definitely became something we wanted to do.”

Because Jepson had just gotten a new principal and was looking for ideas for a wellness project, teacher Cynthia Coble suggested her daughter's troop work together with the school.

“[The school] jumped on it very quickly and said, ‘Yes, let's do this,’” she said. “They provided a space, and we went from there.”

To earn their Silver Award, the highest award a Girl Scout Cadette can get, the troop decided to create a mental health initiative to help their community — even though many of them were never Jepson students.

“They all went to different middle schools. That's kind of the beauty of this project. They came together and had a common purpose at one school, and they didn't really care that it was a school that wasn't their own,” said troop leader Angela Borchert.

Credit: Cynthia Coble

The girls proposed a wellness center to the school board and got it approved, allowing them to work alongside the Jepson Wellness Task Force which had previously been using the space but hadn’t seen much interest from students until now.

“I would say we did use it somewhat last year,” said Angi Roe, an eight grade counselor at Jepson. “[But] we have been able to utilize it a lot since it's opened even more recently… it's just been super special for our students to have that place to come and not go cry in the bathroom.”

They went with an ocean theme for the space because they found it relaxing themselves, but eventually “throughout our project, it got a lot more colorful and more welcoming,” said Amy Borchert.

They did hours of research to find the best methods and tools to help someone decompress — leading the zen den to have sensory toys, coloring books, comfortable chairs, puzzles and more.

Some of those tools were donated by the troop while others were purchased, thrifted or created to help the girls learn how to budget their allotted funds and restore/theme items for the space.

Creating the Jaguar Zen Den

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Cynthia Coble

“My favorite part was yardsaling because we were able to not only find stuff for the wellness room, we were also able to go out of a [Girl Scout] meeting and have time together to find stuff that we all thought could help,” said Lily Coble.

More students are using the zen den since it opened in the middle of September, nearly eight months after the troop began their plans. School counselors expect more students to use the revamped space as they learn about the resource.

“It's been a fun space to share with students,” said Roe. “We are so grateful for what this space already, in the short time it's been open, has been for us.”

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Hurricane weakens; flooding is feared

Hurricane Hilary roared toward Mexico’s Baja California peninsula late Saturday as a downgraded but still dangerous Category 2 hurricane that’s likely to bring “catastrophic” flooding to the region and cross into the southwest U.S. as a tropical storm.While it’s still expected to enter the history books as the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years, Hilary weakened from a Major Category 3 hurricane down to a Category 2 storm at midday Saturday and is expected to lose strength further ...

Hurricane Hilary roared toward Mexico’s Baja California peninsula late Saturday as a downgraded but still dangerous Category 2 hurricane that’s likely to bring “catastrophic” flooding to the region and cross into the southwest U.S. as a tropical storm.

While it’s still expected to enter the history books as the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years, Hilary weakened from a Major Category 3 hurricane down to a Category 2 storm at midday Saturday and is expected to lose strength further as it treks northward.

“Hilary appears to be weakening quickly,” John Cangialosi, a senior hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center, wrote in a Saturday update posted online. “The eye is filling and the cloud tops in the eyewall and rainbands have been warming during the past several hours.”

Forecasters said the storm could bring heavy rainfall to the southwestern United States, dumping 3 to 6 inches in places, with isolated amounts of up to 10 inches, in portions of southern California and southern Nevada. Meteorologists also expect the storm to churn up “life-threatening” surf conditions and rip currents — including towering waves up to 40 feet high — along Mexico’s Pacific coast.

Officials issued an evacuation advisory for the tourist destination of Santa Catalina Island, 23 miles off the Southern California coast, while authorities in Los Angeles scrambled to get the homeless off the streets and into shelters.

And the Miami-based hurricane center issued tropical storm and potential flood warnings for Southern California from the Pacific coast to interior mountains and deserts. The San Bernardino County sheriff on Saturday issued evacuation warnings for several mountain and foothill communities ahead of the storm.

Courtney Carpenter, a National Weather Service warning coordination meteorologist, said experts forecast flash floods, mudslides, isolated tornadoes and wind damage to Southern California.

Heavy rainfall and strong winds were setting in Saturday, and power outages are expected.

Hilary on Friday had rapidly grown into an exceedingly dangerous Category 4 Major hurricane for a time with top sustained winds of 145 mph at its peak. Its maximum sustained winds initially dropped to 115 mph on Saturday as a Category 3 storm, before further weakening to 110 mph — making it a Category 2.

It was still 640 miles south-southeast of San Diego, California. It was moving north-northwest at 17 mph and was expected to turn more toward the north and pick up speed.

Forecasts said the storm was swirling off one of the westernmost spurs on Mexico’s southern Baja peninsula. The hurricane was expected to brush past Punta Eugenia on that coast before making landfall along a sparsely populated area of the peninsula about 200 miles south of the Pacific port city of Ensenada.

Hilary is then expected to rake northward up the peninsula, threatening heavy rains and dangerous flooding in the border city of Tijuana, where many homes in the city of 1.9 million cling precariously to steep hillsides. The city ordered all beaches closed Saturday, and set up a half-dozen storm shelters at sports complexes and government offices.

Rafael Carrillo, the head of the Tijuana fire department, voiced the fear that was at the back of everyone’s mind in Tijuana, particularly residents of the poorly built hillside homes.

”If you hear noises, or the ground cracking, it is important for you to check it and get out as fast as possible, because the ground can weaken and your home could collapse,” Carrillo said.

The U.S. National Park Service closed California’s Joshua Tree National Park and Mojave National Preserve to keep visitors from becoming stranded amid flooding. Cities across the region, including in Nevada and Arizona, offered sandbags to safeguard properties against floodwaters. Major League Baseball rescheduled three Sunday games in Southern California, moving them to Saturday as part of split doubleheaders,

SpaceX delayed the launch of a satellite-carrying rocket from a base on California’s central coast until at least Monday. The company said conditions in the Pacific could make it difficult for a ship to recover the rocket booster.

President Joe Biden said Friday the Federal Emergency Management Agency had pre-positioned staff and supplies in the region. “I urge everyone, everyone in the path of this storm, to take precautions and listen to the guidance of state and local officials,” he said.

Officials in Southern California were re-enforcing sand berms, built to protect low-lying coastal communities against winter surf, like in Huntington Beach, which dubs itself as “Surf City USA.”

In nearby Newport Beach, Tanner Atkinson waited in a line of vehicles for free sandbags at a city distribution point.

“I mean a lot of people here are excited because the waves are gonna get pretty heavy,” Atkinson said. “But I mean, it’s gonna be some rain, so usually there’s some flooding and the landslides and things like that.”

Mexico’s Navy evacuated 850 people from islands off the Baja coast, and deployed almost 3,000 troops for emergency operations.

About 100 people sought refuge at storm shelters in the twin resorts of Los Cabos, at the southern tip of the Baja peninsula, and firefighters used an inflatable boat to rescue a family in San Jose del Cabo after the resort was hit by driving rain and wind.

In La Paz, the picturesque capital of Baja California Sur state on the Sea of Cortez, police patrolled closed beaches to keep swimmers out of the whipped-up surf.

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